Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-10-30
TITLES IN TURKEY.
The Social Conditions in the
Sultan's DOminiOnS.
RANK AND IT'S INHERITANCE.
How the M0hammedan System
Makes 1t Possible for Poor
Man to Achieve Position.


Il has often been remarked by Wis
itors to Constantinople that the street
porters address some members o.
their calling by the title "Bey, (which
literally means Lord" and on in
quiry they have found that the porters
so distinguished are indeed beys. The
explanation is that when once it is
gained the title OF Bey lasts for three
generations, and unless it is re-granted
for some service to the State the
family then falls back into the
ordinary run of folks. The sons and
grandsons Of q Pasha or Bey are
thus Beys, but the great-grand, on
does not necessarily bear the title,
which confers a strictly limited titular
nobility, that is. however, without any
privileges. Beys are to be found in
every class and calling in Turkey.
One very excellent Kurd servant 10
the campaign of 1887 was a Bey, be-
cause his father had distinguished
himself in 1S54-5 against the Russians,
but Hussein assumed no airs on the
matter, and creased boots or rubbed
down horses as though he and his
had been slaves from the time of the
flood. Certain stops of military and
naval rank and certain classes in the
chivalric or ter5 conferred by the Sui
tan, the khe live, or Generals in the
field, carry the title OF Bey with them,
but practically Bey has come to mean
very little more than esquire now
means in England, that is, u compli-
mentaty way Of addressing man in
writing. And one says "Bey EHendi"
to almost any we'll dressed stranger.
If he is Bey he is glad you should
know it; if he isn't, he ia glad you
think he ought to be. Human nature
is human nature whether in America
or in Turkey.
But If Beys thus, unlike European
noble~, tail to transmit their rank to Il
remote posterity, it must be said, on
the other hand. that in no country
can it be said more truly than in Tur-
key thlt every male baby has an
equal chance of rising in the world
of becoming Grand Vizier or Field
Marshal or Sheikh-ul Islam. The
whole system of Mohommedanism is
based upon the equality Of all believ-
ers in the dogma that "there is one
Ga r,rI M,>h, ooI sc tho r,ronl,at ~
God" There are no FIRST families"
except the imperial family, and short
of the purple there is nothing to
which Turk may not aspire OF
course, no industry, ability, intell
gence or bravery will serve him unless
he has "luck," but the same may be
said in any country. If the Turk hap
pens D catch the fancy OF the Sultan.
then lis fortune is made, irrespective
Of ali tiles, but, having a bit of luck
tosta [ with, a Turk may very well
force himself upon the notice of his
sovereign. This is especially the case
in the military career; and of this
career in Turkey there is no better ex-
ample than that of Moukhtar Pasha:
Mushir, that is to Cay Field Marshal
Ghazi (or victorous) Ahmed Moukh-
tar Pasha is no aristocrat by origin.
He springs no more from the dregs of
the people than he does from the
scum. He belongs essentially to that
great industrial middle class which in
every country has produced the most
honest and capable administrators
and leaders. For over three centuries
the family called Katyrdschy have
been established as silk weavers in
the city Of Broussa, that famous town
which served as the capital OF the
conquering OttomAns for centuries be-
fore they reached Constantinople, and
which, situated at the foot Of the Asia
tic Mount Olympus, has perennial
fountains, derived from melting snow,
running and leaping in every street.
About 1880 ~ Hadji Ibrahim Agha
Katyrdschy, having made, as. his title,
implies, the pilgrimage to Mecca.
served, by the election OF his fellows,
as head OF the guild OF silk merchants
in his beautiful native place, which Is
the capital OF it's providence. One of
his sons died while comparatively
Young, leaving four lads to the care of
their grandfather. The eldest was
clever at school and was sent to the
Galata Military Academy, where he
made no particular mark, but got into
the army, and has rusted ever since,
his high rank being Major of Artillery
in Tr:n?I. The second and fourth
sons devoted themselves to the family
bu mess, but the third, from his ear
iiest days. wanted to be a soldier.
After five years in the preparatory
military academy Of Broussa he passed
out at the head OF all his classes, and
as O reward he, too, was sent to Galata
Serai, There, in the course OF tour
years. he 30 distinguished himself
under French tutors that he was made
a lieutenant while still a pupil, and
on leaving he had for his reward pro-
motion to the rank of Staff Captain.
The famous Omer Pasha, Sirdaz Elk
zem. a commander in-chief, was at
this time directing a acampaign against
tine uncomfortable Montenegrins, and
MoukhtaI Joined his staff. The cam
paiyn was nearly over, but the young
captain found means before it was fin
ished to capture with a handful OF
cavalry the important detile OF Us,
truck, held by considerable body oi
the enemy, and to keep it until troops
were br, sht up to secure it. Omei
promoted him to the rank of adjutant
major and decorated him for this, say
ing to him, rs he himself said to q
voung officer ten years ago in Armenia
HWell done p' and embracing him OF
parade. When hostilities with the
men of the Black Mountain were sus
pended Moukhtar became professor o
military architecture and fortiticatioI
at his old school at Galata, and helc
the post two years, during which h.
prepared plans, some of which he at
terward carried out, for the improve
ment OF the Danubian fortress. Ii